THE final batch of this year’s Irish Shows Association (ISA) equine championships were hosted at Ballinasloe Show, with its new pre-Fair date last Sunday.

A dream year for a Clifden couple, first-time All Ireland wins and a delightful showcase for donkey mare and foals were the stories of the day, which began with the three-year-old Connemara filly championship.

Eleven fillies lined up for the Parkmore Stables and Fr. Christy McCormack-sponsored championship, judged by Jane Somerville and James McWeeney. Their champion choice was Bryan and Niamh O’Halloran’s Cabra Jane, spotted at the sales two years ago as a yearling by the then newly engaged couple.

Bought as a future foundation broodmare, Cabra Jane’s win crowned a memorable year for the O’Hallorans who got married in March. By the Monaghanstown Prince son Hillside Joker out of the Glencarrig Knight mare Gurteen Breeze, Cabra Jane was bred in Macroom by Jeremiah Horgan.

Second in the three-year-old class at Clifden this summer, Jackie Hockley’s dun Carnakilly Golden Girl (Magherafadda Lad) took another blue ribbon in the Ballinasloe final where she stood reserve All Ireland champion. In third was another home-bred in Caroline Lydon’s Seaview Pepsi (Cornarone Hazy Lad), another winding up a consistent show season.

Numbers were smaller than usual in the Horse Sport Ireland-sponsored Irish Draught foal finals with 13 forward for the opening championship for colts. Here, Paddy McCarthy and Sharyn Alexander selected Sean Scannell’s colt as their first champion. By the Fast Silver son The Bachelor out of a Cappa Cassanova dam Derrynasagurt Rose, it was a first All Ireland foal final win for his West Cork owner-breeder from Ballyvourney.

The reserve champion was Dominic Cassidy’s Gortfree Boy (Gortfree Hero), this year’s Dublin Irish Draught foal champion, and third place went to Denis McGrath’s Dunsandle Diamond colt.

25 Years A-Waiting: Sean Scannell, pictured with ISA president Catherine Gallagher, gives a thumbs up to the camera after a long-awaited All Ireland Irish Draught colt foal final win at Ballinasloe Show \ Susan Finnerty

First-timer

In the following filly final, it was another first-time All Ireland Irish Draught foal championship win for Magherafelt owner Kenny Bell. He won here with a filly by Moylough Supremacy out of his Castleview Farmers Lady (Tors Gentleman Farmer), second in the Draught mare class at Dublin.

While the first two fillies remained in their original order from the preliminary line-up of 14 contenders, Patrick Finn’s Frenchfort Dream (Gweebarras Dreamtime Star) moved up one place to take third.

Similarly to the traditional foal final at Mountbellew, an overall Irish Draught foal championship is held at Ballinasloe between the colt and filly champions and reserves. Here the judges opted for Sean Scannell’s colt while their reserve was Kenny Bell’s filly from the opposite end of the country.

While pedigree details are generally sparse for the finalists in the John Harney/Gerry Stronge-sponsored donkey mare and foal final, there was no shortage of care and detail in the presentation of the eight finalists. Jane Bruce found her champion in Crosspatrick Eve, owned by David Loney, whose mother Helena is the Irish Donkey Society’s honourary secretary.

Reserve champion was Sean Moran’s Clogher Lady and Suzi took third for Michael Cummins.

Co-sponsor John Harney steps down from his Ballinasloe Show chairperson role this year after this popular gentleman’s 60 years involvement with his local show. First held in 1839 in conjunction with the ‘Great Fair’, this year’s entries were on a par with other autumn shows.

Kenny Bell, pictured with Seamus O’Neill and ISA president Catherine Gallagher, after his All Ireland Irish Draught filly foal final win at Ballinasloe Show \ Susan Finnerty

Gill double

Tiernan Gill, a great supporter of agricultural shows, ended the year as he started with his three-year-old Entertainer filly Flogas Oilily - young horse champion at Newmarket-on-Fergus - winning the filly championship. Her stable companion Flogas Ridgepool (Impressive VDL) was the yearling champion.

Two Athlone families and more Ballinasloe Show regulars - the Glynn and Dooner families - also wrapped up their show year with the broodmare and foal titles, won by Crannaghmore Pearl (Near Dock) and Michael Dooner’s Shadow Gate colt, respectively.

Another to finish the agricultural show year on a winning note was Woodfield Baloo (Spirit House) the champion ridden horse, owned by mother and daughter-team Kate and Amory McMahon, while Parkmore Stables’ Fiona Donohue won the Connemara championship with her Blake Hill Sparrow gelding.